Gestalt Therapy Role-Play - Empty Chair Technique with Future Self

[@barbarahoffman408]

I think the idea of the future self speaking to the current self has great potential impact as seen here. I imagine many clients don't want to face the consequences of their actions, this technique forces them to deal with what their life will be like if the continue the destructive behavior.

[@corinneporter3425]

I really like this technique. I think it was helpful for the client to see herself in the future and explain to her future self what they will look like if she continues the behavior. This gave her the opportunity to convince her current self of why she must stop the addiction now. The therapist's job is to talk her through each of the roles and how this technique made her feel about her current situation.

[@feralbluee]

Shelby is a very good actress. she often looks up when thinking and she rubs her hands together (nervousness or anxiety). i really believe her.

[@kaitlynsantola433]

I really like this technique. I like how the client was able to become more aware of the conflicts and issues that can come up if her addiction to shopping continues. The counselor did a great job with jumping in at the right times to process the empty chair technique. I feel like if the client had switched chairs to be able to fully be present in her future self role, if could have helped her gain more insight about what can happen in the future if she doesn't make a change now.

[@birkit1133]

Kaitlyn Santola I think switching chairs depends on the client's preference. In this case, she didn't need to switch chairs and she was able to maintain her flow of thought without the disruption of physically changing her position, so it wasn't necessary. However, I can picture this adding an effective dynamic of fun to the session if the client were a child.

[@JoeDirt-el2fr]

I enjoyed seeing this technique be implemented in therapy. Looking at the future will surely motivate and inspire an individual to work on themselves. As she said she was now "motivated to fight it" based on the idea of not going through the same thing years from that point. The technique was able to give her some insight into what was happening. She decided she did not want to be disappointed in her future self.

[@birkit1133]

Joe Dirt Precisely. This was a very insightful demonstration. I can see this working well for someone who scores high in the imagination trait, and the biggest hurdle to change is sometimes just getting the individual to that point where they are motivated and ready to commit to the harder work of implementing new strategies, so I would imagine that would be the focus at the next session: strategies and diversions. This technique helped accomplish a necessary step in the struggle to change unhelpful behavior.

[@MyDonh]

I can see how this technique could bring about a profound amount of self awareness for the client. It really shifts their perspective in a way that forces them to do some self analysis.

[@katybethhern6167]

+don wilson I agree that this technique forces the client to self reflect on topics or relationship with others that may be too difficult to discuss one on one. I really like this technique.

[@loriwardwell2957]

i enjoyed watching this technique played out, I have read quite a bit about it but not seen it before. I can see how a client would gain insight by having a conversation with a part of them selves as they perceive it and by being allowed to explore that. I think you would need to have client who is willing to try activities like this but all around very thought provoking.

[@nakeshatucker6844]

I think the empty chair with future self technique is a good way to increase awareness and challenge oneself to understand where they may be potentially in the future if current weak behaviors continue. After the empty chair part of the session , I like how Dr. Grande took a break in order to process the experience with the client. I think that showed good empathetic understanding because he took the time to see how the client felt about it.

[@elisawhite3031]

I like this technique - it gives those that have a hard time envisioning themselves and their goals a chance to actualize their potential future. This can hold a lot of impact for those with anxiety, which can be fueled for many by their fear of the future. The self-awareness that could come out of this technique can be useful in allowing a change within oneself to overcome a struggle with a mild (I use this word lightly - as every addiction can lead to something much, much worse!) addiction, such as the one presented here.

[@angelinastanton7996]

I also like this technique. However, I think that it can worsen anxiety and can be more harmful to certain clients to imagine their future selves. For this client, I would like to have seen other techniques used, such as confrontation about buying something or lending money. I also would have liked to see the client and counselor come up with some ideas on how to decrease symptoms of her bad feelings of herself, anxiety, and compulsive shopping. I think that the homework assignment given to increase the client's awareness was not enough. I think that this client needs the counselor to integrate more theoretical approaches with techniques.

[@angiegrimes7265]

By using this technique, the client gained a new perspective on the consequences of her current actions on her future. BY imagining a likely, disappointing future, she seemed to have more incentive to try an change her current actions. Most of time we are not thinking of the long term results of our current actions. I think this could be a very powerful tool to induce change.

[@SheilaHageman]

Thank you for sharing your videos. I am finding them very helpful as I work on my master's in counseling.

[@natalielambert4378]

I'll be trying this one out in a roleplay tomorrow!

[@brittbell15]

This technique definitely seems to be powerful. The client got a chance to see what her potential future could look like if she doesn't adjust her behaviors. She was able to talk herself through some of her challenges and actually grasp how detrimental this addiction could be.

[@heather7927]

+Brittany Bell I agree that this is a powerful technique because it provides so much insight into where behaviors could potentially lead and the client was able to be aware of how self destructive she was being.

[@Andrei-yv8fz]

Thank you Dr. Grande. I'm working on my LPC and your videos help me learn. :)

[@virginiamurrey9139]

Empty chair technique with future self allows the client to view their habits or problems from a different perspective; in turn this allows them to think of their current actions, and the repercussions that may follow. This may assist the client (in this case) to start changing current behavior to be better off in the future.

[@psychologyguide]

Good to hear sir. Useful and informative. Thanks for sharing role play knowledge. ☺😊

[@2minutes4life]

:) awsome intervention and thanks for sharing

[@khappy1286]

It can also help abuse victims who have no addictions or fears of that nature have a chance to see their successful self best self if they can find the courage to step into their dreams and try. The future self can talk from a place of strength power love and forgiveness while living in the success of their dreams . People w addictions can do it too it's just I don't have any.

[@3nthamornin]

great video

[@MindfulMehwish]

Really helpful👍

[@angelinastanton7996]

I thought that the empty chair technique in this session was a bit difficult to follow along with. It may have been more helpful if the client actually did switch chairs when changing who she was speaking to. Sometimes, I found myself getting lost in who she was speaking with. I also think that the confrontation technique would have been more helpful for the client. I sense that others in her life do not confront her much about giving her access to money. I like the empty chair technique very much, but I am able to see how it can be more useful for some clients over others.

[@feralbluee]

Yea - Gestalt! Thank you so very, very much for staging the different therapies. i just want to learn and learn and learn. (what a funy word - learn lol)

[@snuspede5569]

the example of shopping addiction is interesting

[@lisaseckold9296]

Todd, just wondering why you wouldn't ask the client to sit in the new chair as the future self, and revert to original one as current self?

[@natalielambert4378]

I think that is the two chair technique vs the empty chair technique. I am trying to figure out the difference.

[@welovemusic8542]

Lol ..it's like giving yourself therapy...and if you don't solve it yourself then the therapist picks up on the important points in your conversation and tries to work on it ...is it like that? I mean genius!!!

[@YoungevitySanLuisObi]

Umm. I feel like it's getting to a point where it's so bad, with the loud white noise due to a cheap audio solution, so I'm struggling as I process the information. If you could just improve that, yeah, that would be greaaaat. Thaaanks.

[@3nthamornin]

lol this video is 5 years old

[@YoungevitySanLuisObi]

@@3nthamornin Microphone technology has been around for 100 years. So...

[@3nthamornin]

@@YoungevitySanLuisObi my point was that he has improved his microphone since he posted this video

[@greyswandir2807]

I hate to bring it up, but the hissing is really loud and distracting.

[@robertodonati1037]

I think the technique would be more useful when it is used to act the dynamic of a relationship between the client and the person that they may have a problem with than with the client themselves. For what I see in the video, the conversation with her future self does not really provide an insight, she already know her issues and the consequences they will bring in her future. I do not see a real insight that would make a possible change in her behavior on why she has this shopping compulsion.

[@mariazetta7209]

I am confused because they are focusing on the future and not the here and now

[@online4200]

I didn’t find it useful..

[@hartnady]

Dr Grande, why is your body language so closed and defensive in this video? Surely to foster a sense of trust with one’s therapist, the therapist should impart a sense of trust by uncrossing legs, not blocking one’s body with crossed arms, and avoiding holding one’s hand to their face? Three very powerful subconscious signals purveying distrust with a client?

[@ninastreet4630]

I'm not sure this approach was very helpful for the client. It seemed like she wasn't able to grasp the concept of why what she was doing was wrong as herself in the present.

[@elstongunn4277]

I think this was too simplistic and shallow. Obviously, she's looking for something to jolt her into a "reaching rock bottom" reality. Playing a pretend game won't provide her with that. I'll assure you that at her current state, she's already had that conversation with herself multiple times. Perhaps a more constructive session would focus on the origins of the "pain" she is feeling that her shopping addiction alleviates, albeit temporarily.

[@T.d0T.]

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